Add 'box_dots_exclude' parameter to keep certain keys with dots from being broken down

box/box.py

@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ class Box(dict):
     :param box_intact_types: tuple of types to ignore converting
     :param box_recast: cast certain keys to a specified type
     :param box_dots: access nested Boxes by period separated keys in string
+    :param box_dots_exclude: optional regular expression for dotted keys to exclude
     :param box_class: change what type of class sub-boxes will be created as
     :param box_namespace: the namespace this (possibly nested) Box lives within
     """
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ def __new__(
         box_intact_types: Union[Tuple, List] = (),
         box_recast: Optional[Dict] = None,
         box_dots: bool = False,
+        box_dots_exclude: str = None,
         box_class: Optional[Union[Dict, Type["Box"]]] = None,
         box_namespace: Union[Tuple[str, ...], Literal[False]] = (),
         **kwargs: Any,
@@ -229,6 +231,7 @@ def __new__(
                 "box_intact_types": tuple(box_intact_types),
                 "box_recast": box_recast,
                 "box_dots": box_dots,
+                "box_dots_exclude": re.compile(box_dots_exclude) if box_dots_exclude else None,
                 "box_class": box_class if box_class is not None else Box,
                 "box_namespace": box_namespace,
             }
@@ -251,6 +254,7 @@ def __init__(
         box_intact_types: Union[Tuple, List] = (),
         box_recast: Optional[Dict] = None,
         box_dots: bool = False,
+        box_dots_exclude: str = None,
         box_class: Optional[Union[Dict, Type["Box"]]] = None,
         box_namespace: Union[Tuple[str, ...], Literal[False]] = (),
         **kwargs: Any,
@@ -272,6 +276,7 @@ def __init__(
                 "box_intact_types": tuple(box_intact_types),
                 "box_recast": box_recast,
                 "box_dots": box_dots,
+                "box_dots_exclude": re.compile(box_dots_exclude) if box_dots_exclude else None,
                 "box_class": box_class if box_class is not None else self.__class__,
                 "box_namespace": box_namespace,
             }
@@ -489,6 +494,12 @@ def __setstate__(self, state):
         self._box_config = state["_box_config"]
         self.__dict__.update(state)
 
+    def __process_dotted_key(self,item):
+        if self._box_config["box_dots"] and isinstance(item, str):
+            return ("[" in item) or ("." in item and not (self._box_config["box_dots_exclude"]
+                                                     and self._box_config["box_dots_exclude"].match(item)))
+        return False
+
     def __get_default(self, item, attr=False):
         if item in ("getdoc", "shape") and _is_ipython():
             return None
@@ -526,7 +537,7 @@ def __get_default(self, item, attr=False):
             value = default_value
         if self._box_config["default_box_create_on_get"]:
             if not attr or not (item.startswith("_") and item.endswith("_")):
-                if self._box_config["box_dots"] and isinstance(item, str) and ("." in item or "[" in item):
+                if self.__process_dotted_key(item):
                     first_item, children = _parse_box_dots(self, item, setting=True)
                     if first_item in self.keys():
                         if hasattr(self[first_item], "__setitem__"):
@@ -602,7 +613,7 @@ def __getitem__(self, item, _ignore_default=False):
                 for x in list(super().keys())[item.start : item.stop : item.step]:
                     new_box[x] = self[x]
                 return new_box
-            if self._box_config["box_dots"] and isinstance(item, str) and ("." in item or "[" in item):
+            if self.__process_dotted_key(item):
                 try:
                     first_item, children = _parse_box_dots(self, item)
                 except BoxError:
@@ -652,7 +663,7 @@ def __getattr__(self, item):
     def __setitem__(self, key, value):
         if key != "_box_config" and self._box_config["frozen_box"] and self._box_config["__created"]:
             raise BoxError("Box is frozen")
-        if self._box_config["box_dots"] and isinstance(key, str) and ("." in key or "[" in key):
+        if self.__process_dotted_key(key):
             first_item, children = _parse_box_dots(self, key, setting=True)
             if first_item in self.keys():
                 if hasattr(self[first_item], "__setitem__"):
@@ -696,12 +707,7 @@ def __setattr__(self, key, value):
     def __delitem__(self, key):
         if self._box_config["frozen_box"]:
             raise BoxError("Box is frozen")
-        if (
-            key not in self.keys()
-            and self._box_config["box_dots"]
-            and isinstance(key, str)
-            and ("." in key or "[" in key)
-        ):
+        if key not in self.keys() and self.__process_dotted_key(key):
             try:
                 first_item, children = _parse_box_dots(self, key)
             except BoxError:

box/converters.py

@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ class BoxTomlDecodeError(BoxError, tomli.TOMLDecodeError):  # type: ignore
     "box_duplicates",
     "box_intact_types",
     "box_dots",
+    "box_dots_exclude",
     "box_recast",
     "box_class",
     "box_namespace",

test/test_box.py

@@ -936,6 +936,13 @@ def test_dots(self):
         with pytest.raises(BoxKeyError):
             del b["a.b"]
 
+    def test_dots_exclusion(self):
+        bx = Box.from_yaml(yaml_string="0.0.0.1: True",default_box=True,default_box_none_transform=False,box_dots=True,
+                           box_dots_exclude=r'[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+')
+        assert bx["0.0.0.1"] == True
+        with pytest.raises(BoxKeyError):
+          del bx["0"]
+
     def test_unicode(self):
         bx = Box()
         bx["\U0001f631"] = 4